Judas Maccabaeus (Handel)

"Judas Maccabaeus" (HWV 63) is an oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel.

Background

The political context is the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Handel in 1746 hastily composed the Occasional Oratorio for the encouragement of the English. After the success of the British forces at the Battle of Culloden he started a work in honour of the victorious Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, addressed as "Truly Wise, Valiant, and Virtuous Commander" in the libretto.

The first performance took place on April 1, 1747 at Covent Garden, and "Judas Maccabaeus" became one of Handel's most popular oratorios with frequent reprises, second only to "Messiah".

"See, the Conqu'ring hero comes", from "Judas Maccabaeus", became well-known later as the music was invariably played by brass bands at the opening of new railway lines and stations in Britain during the 19th century and is one of the movements in Sir Henry Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs".

In 1884 Ed­mond Louis Bu­dry added words to an extract which is now a popular hymn "Thine Be the Glory" ("À toi la gloire").

Orchestration

* 2 flutes
* 2 transverse flutes
* 2 oboes
* 2 bassoons
* 2 French horns
* 3 trumpets
* timpani
* 3 violins
* viola
* cello
* double bass
* organ
* harpsichord

Libretto

Thomas Morell based the libretto on the apocryphal 1 Maccabees 2-8, adding some motives from the "Antiquitates Judaicae" of Flavius Josephus. Georg Gottfried Gervinus translated the libretto into German.

Dramatis Personae

* Judas Maccabaeus (tenor)
* Simon, his Brother (bass)
* Israelitish Woman (soprano)
* Israelitish Man (mezzo-soprano)
* Eupolemus, the Jewish Ambassador to Rome (alto)
* First Messenger (alto)
* Second Messenger (bass)
* Chorus of Israelites
* Chorus of Youths
* Chorus of Virgins

Handel's original 1747 singers:

* Judas: John Beard
* Israelite man: Caterina Galli (mezzo-soprano)
* Israelite woman: Elisabetta de Gambarini (soprano)
* Simon, brother to Judas: Thomas Reinhold (bass)
* Eupolemus, Jewish ambassador to Rome: Thomas Reinhold

ummary

External links

* [http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/judas.htm Full-text libretto online]
* [http://www.music.appstate.edu/faculty/greene/Handel-Judas-Maccabaeus-Mary-Gayle-Greene-www.marygaylegreene.tk.mp3 Live Recording of Number 29, Air, "So Rapid Thy Course Is" (performed by Mary Gayle Greene, mezzo-soprano)]